Machine for grinding, smoothing, and polishing plate-glass.



Patented Oct. l. IQOI.

M. M. MAHER. MACHINE FOR GRINDING, SMOOTHING, ANDPOLISHING PLATE GLASS.

(Application filed. Dec. 5, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 683.652. Patented Oct. I. I901.

M. M. MAHEB.

MACHINE FOR GRINDING, SMOOTHING, AND POLISHING PLATE GLASS.

(Application filed Dec. 5, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-sheaf 2.

WITNESSES NVENTOR ma7 j A! No. 683,652. Patented Oct. I, 190i.

M. M. MAHER.

MACHINE FOR GR|ND|NG, SMODTHING, AND POLISHING PLATE GLASS. (Applica tion filed Dec. 5, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet a.

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Patented Oct. I90I. m. m. MAHER. MACHINE FOR GRINDING, SMUOTHING, AND POLISHING PLATE GLASS.-

(Application filed Dec. 5, 1900.)

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Shunt 4.

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NITED STATES PATENT omce.

MICHAEL M. MAHER, or FORD CITY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY meter AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TWO-THIRDS TO ROBERT BARNER, or

KITTANNING, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR GRINDING, SMOOTHING, AND POLISHING PLATE-GLASS.

SPEGIFIGATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 683,652, dated October 1, 1901'.

Application filed December 5, 1900 Serial No. 38,831. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.- Be it known that 1, MICHAEL M. MAHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ford City, in the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented newand use' ful Improvements in Machines for Grinding, Smoothing, and Polishing Plate Glass, of which the following is a specification.

For grinding, smoothing, and polishing IO plate-glass a usual practice is to embed the plates in plaster-of-paris on atable or other support, and after treating the exposed surface the plates are inverted and the process of grinding, smoothing, and polishing is repeated. Much time is consumed, as the surfaces are necessarily treated separately and not simultaneously; also, considerable time is required, as the glass must be twice very carefully fixed or seated and as many times unfixed or loosened. Turning and manipulation of the plates result in frequent breakages, which are attended by considerable danger to the workmen.

The primary object of the present invention is to lessen the time required for grinding, smoothing, and polishing and to obviate the tedious fixing and dangerous manipula tion of the glass by providing apparatus for operating on both faces of the plates simultaneously, the latter being secured in a port able frame, from which theyare not removed during the operations of grinding, smoothing, and polishing and in which they may be conveniently transported to and from the appa- 5 ratus or wherever required in the plant.

A further objectis to provide means for constantly shifting the glass-holding frame during the operation of the grinding or buffing devices, whereby the plates are uniformly treated throughout their entire areas.

A further object is to provide means for so adjusting the said devices as to keep them constantly to their work; also, to provide such adjustment as will permit of the abrading 5 devices working at an angle to the normal plane of the glass, thereby to effect the safe and rapid elimination of knots and depressions-of unusual proportions. 5

- The invention consists in these and other novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a crosssectional elevation taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of the framereciprocating pitmen. Fig. 6 is an edge ele vation of one of the abrading-heads provided with a polishing-surface.

In the present embodiment of my invention the machine consists in part of two vertical and parallel f rames,each provided with abrading. or buffing heads, the frames being arranged to operate simultaneously on opposite faces of an interposed plate of glass. Each of these frames consists, primarily, of two horizontal beams 2, arranged one above the other and mounted to slide in boxes 3, the latter being adjustable in recesses 4 of frame-uprights 5 by means of screws 6, the latter being swiveled at their inner ends-to boxes 3 and working through the uprights. The beams of each frame are united by vertical bars 7, arranged in pairs, and carried by each pair thereof are two heads 8, one above the other. Each head is secured to bars 7 by four longitudinally-adjustable bolts 9. All of the heads of each frame are normally in a vertical plane; but with the independent adj ustment afiorded by bolts 9 their relation in this regard may be varied, as in the preliminary stages of grinding it may be desirable to have certain of the heads disposed obliquely to their normal plane to more quickly and safely eliminate knots or depressions in the plate. By slackening certain of bolts 9 and tightening up others the heads may be caused to stand at any desired angle. Then as the grinding proceeds a gradual readjustment of the bolts restores the heads to normal position. By means of screws 6 the headcarrying frames may be adjusted laterally as the surfaces of the plates are ground away, thus keeping the heads on both sides of the plate constantly in contact therewith. This adjustment also permits of the frames being separated su fficiently to insert or remove the glass.

The heads 8 are formed, preferably, of castiron, with integral checkered abrading projections 10 on their inner faces, the projec- Lions being downwardly inclined, so as to cause the sand and water or other abrading material discharged thereon from above by any suitable means (not shown) to work toward the surface of the glass and downward thereover. With the arrangement and construction shown the abrading material is distributed uniformly over the entire surface of the glass and cannot collect or become lodged between the checkered head projections.

The head-carrying frames are reciprocated horizontally in opposite directions by means of crank-shafts 12 and 13, arranged one above the other and preferably in the planes of the upper and lower beams 2, to which their cran k-arms are connected by pitmen 14, the crank-arms being disposed in such relation as to impart the desired opposite'reciprocations to the frames. Shafts 12 and 13 are geared together at 15, lower shaft 12 being geared to drive-shaft 16. It is further characteristic of the invention to reciprocate the glass vertically or in direction at right angles to the planes of reciprocation of the headcarrying frames, whereby all portions of the ently to be described, at 18 and at their lower ends provided with straps 19, which encircle eccentrics 20, mounted on shaft 21,

journaled in the machine-base. This shaft is actuated by drive-shaft 16 through the medium of bevel-gearing 22. Provision isrnade for varying the stroke of pitmen 17 by slotting eccentrics 20 at 23, where they embrace shaft 21, and by securing these slotted eccentrics by bolts 24 to crank-arms 25, fixed on the shaft. These crank-arms are slotted at 26 to receive bolts 24, and thus with said bolts adjustable in slots 26 and the eccentrics adjustable on the shaft the stroke of the pitman may be increased or diminished, as required.

The glass-holding frame is guided in its vertical reciprocations by runners 27, secured thereto, which slide in ways 28, formed in the inner faces of uprights 5, above and below recesses 4. The runners bear against blocks 29, which are adjustable in said ways by means of screw-bolts 30 in uprights 5, and thus the frame may be accurately positioned and the adjustment maintained.

The glass-holding frame consists of top and bottom rails 31 and end rails 32, arranged at right angles to and crossing each other and secured together by clam ping-bolts33. The rails are preferably slotted at 34: to receive these bolts, and in this manner the frame may be contracted or expanded as circumstances may require. As the requisite ad- This movement may be accomjustment may be accomplished by moving only one each of the horizontal and vertical rails the rails may be permanently secured at one of the four intersecting points, as at the upper right-hand corner, Figs. 1 and 2; Each rail is formed of two parallel members, united by clamping-bolts 35 and separated only sufficiently to pass the thin steel stops or plates 36, which are secured by and slotted to be adjustable on bolts 35. or stops project into the frame and abut against thin wood strips 37, inserted between the same and the edges of the glass X, thus rigidly holding the latter within the frame. The range of adjustment of the frame-rails and of stops 35 is such as to conform the frame to plates of various sizes. The plates or stops 36 are thinner than the finished glass, so that the abrading-heads may work thereover without coming in contact therewith. The ex tremities of the crossed frame-rails project beyond the points of intersection, as shown, and after the glass has been inserted and secured in a preliminary way by the adjust- These plates.

ment of the frame and stops above described the frame is finally contracted and made absolutely rigid by the rods 38, which unite the projecting extremities of the top and bottom rails and the extremities of the end rails. Each rod is formed in two sections, united by a turnbuckle 39, whereby the rods may be conveniently expanded or contracted. Thus the glass is so securely clamped within the frame as to prevent possibility of becoming displaced.

Instead of operating on one large plate of glass, as in Fig. 1, a number of smaller plates of varying areas may be assembled and secured in the frame, as in Fig. 2. In such case Wood strips 40, similar to strips 37, are

vent chipping or marking the same, and all of the strips are simply ground down with the glass without injury to the abrading-heads. I As the plate edges are not embraced at a single point by the holding means, being frictionally held by the thin plates or stops 36, it is necessary that the latter bear against the glass edges with considerable pressure to hold or prevent the same from being displaced, and especially is this true where several plates are secured in one frame, as in Fig. 2. Hence the necessity of stout clamping means for the glass-holding frame such as is herein shown and described. Thus the abradi'ngor polishing devices may work to and past the glass edges Without coming in contact with ing operated upon the frames may serve to transport the same to and from the machine or wherever it may be required by means of suitable carriages and elevated tracks (not shown) of usual and well-known construction, the frame being provided with hooks or other attaching points ll for ropes depending from such carriages. Thus the plates may be rapidly and safely transported with smaller expenditure of energy and with less danger both to the workmen and the glass incident to carrying them manually, as heretofore.

The machine here shown and'described is simply one embodiment of the broad principles underlying the invention. Hence it will be understood that the machine may be constructed in a variety of ways, involving numerous changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine of the character described, two grinding or polishing frames separated by a plate-space, each frame being of suffi cient size to grind or polish a face of the plate, mechanism for actuating said frames simultaneously in opposite directions, and platesustaining means, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a machine of the character described, two grinding or polishing frames separated by a plate-space, each frame being of sufficient size to grind or polish a face of the plate, mechanism for actuating said frames simultaneously in opposite directions, and a reciprocatin g plate-carrier, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a machine of the character described, reciprocating abrading or polishing devices, and a plate-carrier adapted to reciprocate in a plane at right angles to the plane of reciprocat-ion of said devices, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a machine of the character described, oppositely-facing abrading or polishing devices for operating simultaneously on opposite faces of an interposed plate, means for actuating the devices, and means for moving the plate while being operated upon by said devices,substantiall y as shown and described.

5. In a machine of the character described, oppositely-facing abrading or polishing devices for operating simultaneously on opposite faces of an interposed plate, means for reciprocating the devices, and means for reciprocating the plate in a plane at right angles to the plane of reciprocation of the said devices,substantially as shown and described.

6. In a machine of the character described, oppositely-facing abrading or polishing devices for operating simultaneously on opposite faces of an interposed plate, means for reversely reciprocating the oppositely-facing devices, and means for reciprocating the interposed plate in a plane at right angles to the plane of reciprocation of said devices, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a machine of the character described, two parallel frames, oppositely-facing heads carried by the frames for operating simultaneously on opposite faces of an interposed plate, means for actuating the frames to cause the heads to move over the plate, and mechanism for adjusting the frames toward and away from each other, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a machine of the character described, two parallel frames, means for reciprocating the frames simultaneously in opposite directions, and heads carried by the frames and adapted to operate simultaneously on oppo site faces of an interposed plate of glass, substantially as shown and described.

9. In a machine of the character described, two parallel frames, means for actuating the frames, a plurality of abrading or polishing heads carried by each frame, the heads of each frame being normally in a common plane, and means for separately securing each head to its frame and for adjusting it with relation to the frame and the other heads, substantially as shown and described.

10. In a machine of the character described, an abrading or polishing surface made up of a plurality of heads, and means for separately adjusting each head, whereby all of the heads may be disposed in a common plane or one or more of the heads may be disposed at an angle to the plane of the other heads, substantially as'shown and described. a

11. In a machine of the character described, an abrading or polishing surface made up of a plurality of heads, a frame, andv a plurality of bolts projecting from and independently adjustable in the frame and carrying at their outer ends the said heads, whereby each head may be adjusted to any desired angle with relation to the normal plane of the abrading or polishing surface, substantially as shown and described.

12. In a machine of the character described, an abrading-surface comprising parallel horizontal beams,vertical bars uniting the beams, a plurality of heads secured to and independently adjustable on the bars, means for reciprocating the beams longitudinally, and means for adjusting the same laterally, substantially as shown and described.

13. In a machine of the character described, uprights formed with transverse recesses, boxes in the said recesses and means for adjusting the boxes therein, beams mounted to reciprocate in the boxes, and abrading or polishing devices carried by the beams, substantially as shown and described.

lat. In a machine of the character described, a plate-holding frame, means for reciprocating the frame, and means for grinding or p01- ishing the plate while the latter is being reciprocated, substantially as shown and described.

15. In a machine of the character described, horizontally-reciprocatin g abradin g or polishing devices, a vertically-reciprocating platecarrying frame, and means for actuating said devices and frame simultaneously, substantially as shown and described.

16. In a machine of the characterdescribed,

grinding or polishing means, a reciprocating glass-holding frame, and means for varying the throw of the said frame, substantially as shown and described.

17. In a machine of the character described, means for sustaining a plate in vertical or upright position, and abrading-heads having their active faces formed of a plurality of proj ections inclined downwardly toward the surface of the plate, substantially as shown and described.

18. In a machine of the character described, means for sustaining a plate in vertical or upright position, and abrading-heads having their active faces provided with integral pro jections arranged in checker form, said projections being inclined downwardly toward the surface of the plate,substantially as shown and described.

19. In amachine of the character described, an upright frame for inclosingaplate or plates of glass, and means for contracting and expanding said frame vertically and horizontally, substantially as shown and described.

20. In a machine of the character described, an upright frame for inclosing a plate or plates of glass, and inwardly-projecting stops adjustable on the frame for engaging the edges of the glass, substantially as shown and described.

21. In a machine of the character described, an upright frame for inclosing a plate or plates of glass, means for contracting and expanding said frame vertically and horizontally, and inwardly-projecting stops adj ustably secured to the frame for engaging the glass edges, substantially as shown and described.

22. In a machine of the character described, a glass-holding frame, and stops projecting inward from said frame which engage the glass edges, said stops beingthinner than the finished glass, substantially as shown and described.

23. In a machine of the character described, a glass-holding frame formed of top, bottom and end rails, said rails being formed with longitudinal slots, and thin stops or plates adjustable therein toward and away from the interior of the frame for engaging the glass edges, substantially as shown and described.

24. In a machine of the character described, a glass-holding frame consisting of top, bottom and end rails adj ustably united, means for securing a plate or plates of glass within the frame, and longitudinally -adjustable clamping-rods for contracting the frame, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witmesses.

MICHAEL M. MAHER.

\Vitnesses:

HERMAN SPENCER, EMMA BURGE. 

